“Oh, yeah?” I brought Jessica here when we were dating, but she didn’t care for it. She thought it was unrefined.
Quinn nods. “It’s quirky and colorful and over-the-top. It makes coming here a real New Orleans experience.”
“I thought the food did that.”
“That, too.” She laughs.
We’re seated in the back corner of the dining room and presented with menus. I order the blackened redfish with crab-chili hollandaise, and Quinn decides on the shrimp étouffée. They bring their signature cornbread with garlic butter. Quinn takes a bite, then looks heavenward and gives a little moan. “Oh, this is so delicious!”
I like the way she enjoys food. Jessica avoids carbs and is very particular about what she eats. Quinn has a refreshing way of...
But I shouldn’t be comparing the two women.
“Why did you decide to use a donor?” I ask, determined to straighten out my thinking. “I mean, you’re the kind of woman any guy...” I stop. I sense I’m stepping over some kind of line. I’m a married man; I probably shouldn’t be telling another woman she’s desirable.
Oh, jeez. She’s blushing.
I shouldn’t be asking such a personal question, either. I stumble on, trying to fix things. “What I mean is, why didn’t you go about creating a family the usual way, when...” Oh, hell—I’m only making things worse! I inwardly wince. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.” I grab my water and take a gulp.
“It’s okay.” She smiles and takes another nibble of the cornbread. “I knew I wanted a child, even if marriage wasn’t in the cards for me.”
I’m still not understanding. “Why would marriage not be in the cards for you?”
“I haven’t had a lot of luck finding the right kind of guy. Brooke said I pick emotionally unavailable men.” She thanks the waiter as he sets down her iced tea, then looks back at me. “I think she’s right. I’ve been in a couple of long-term relationships, and in both cases, I was way more invested than the guy was. Brooke said I projected my hopes and dreams onto them instead of seeing them as they really were.” She takes a sip of tea, then give a rueful smile. “I broke up with the last guy, Tom, right before I moved to New Orleans, and I haven’t met anyone since. The biological clock was ticking, and well...” She lifts her shoulders and looks away. “Single motherhood had worked out well for Brooke and I just adored Lily, so when Brooke offered to give me the rest of her donor’s, um...donation, I went for it.” She looks back up. “How did you and Jessica meet?”
“At a friend’s wedding.”
“Oh, that’s so romantic! How long have you been married?”
“Nearly three years.”
“How long have you...” She stops and looks sheepish. “This timeIwas about to ask an inappropriate question.”
“When did we start trying for a family?” I guess.
She gives an embarrassed smile and nods.
“Pretty much right away. Jessica was worried about the biological clock, too. When nothing happened after six months, she wentto a doctor and learned her ovarian reserves were low. We started IVF and went through five rounds.”
“That’s a lot.”
“Yeah. Two or three too many, really.”
The waiter brings our salads. I want to steer the conversation back to her. I picked up from her earlier remarks that her parents were divorced. “You haven’t told me much about your family. What were your parents like?”
Quinn sighs. “What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
“Well, Mom is on her third marriage, and she lives in Dubai with her oil executive husband. We talk every couple of weeks and see each other maybe once a year.”
“What’s she like?”
Quinn gives a dry smile. “How much time do you have?”
“As long as it takes.”
“Well, Mom was Miss Strawberry Festival and Miss Southeast Louisiana, and I think that was the highlight of her life. She was an only child and the apple of her parents’ eye, and she was brought up to think the world revolved around her. She still kind of thinks that way.”
